


The Aftermath

by helenofegypt



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Life is Strange 2 - Freeform, life is strange - Freeform, life is strange au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:21:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29193729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helenofegypt/pseuds/helenofegypt
Summary: Max honors Chloe's wish and saves Arcadia Bay, sacrificing her best friend. Time rewinds, and Max is now coping with the loss of her friend and the alternate reality she had lived. Kate is alive and Jefferson is behind bars. Justice is being served, and life has stopped being strange. That is until it is revealed that the body found in the junkyard is not actually Rachel Amber's...
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	The Aftermath

"Chloe!"

Max sat upright in her bed, gasping for air as the same nightmare woke her again. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she flipped her lampshade on and began sobbing. Everything in her life felt like a nightmare, and she wasn't sure if it was worse reliving the past few weeks in her dreams, or waking up and realizing all of it was true.

The storm. The lighthouse. The butterfly photo. The gunshot. Chloe.

Her best friend's final words rang in the back of her head, clear as day.

_"Max Caufield, don't you forget about me."_

Max wept, her heart aching in mourning for her best friend. How badly she wanted to turn back one more time to change her decision.

Chloe Price, 19. Gone far too soon.

A small knock sounded at the door, followed by a soft, "Max?"

Max lifted her face from her palms, teary-eyed as she turned her head toward the door as Kate Marsh quietly peeked her head in, her eyes full of concern.

_Sweet Kate, who would not be here if she hadn't made her decision._

"Max, I heard you yelling and got worried," Kate began. Max looked at her, eyes watering before her head fell back between her knees. "Oh, Max," Kate whispered, entering the room. Kate walked over to the bed, putting her arms around Max, who leaned into her and began sobbing. Petting Max's hair back in a soothing manner, Kate gently rocked back and forth. "I'm here, Max. I'm staying right here."

Nearly two weeks had passed since Chloe Price was shot in the girl's bathroom at Blackwell by Nathan Prescott. Shortly after, the scandal about him and former photography teacher Mark Jefferson was exposed. Both of them were arrested. "Justice" was served.

But no one knew about the sacrifice Chloe had made, the difficult decision Max had to face, and the truth she had to now bare alone.

_I don't feel any justice._

Max cried until she was asleep again.

* * *

The next morning, Max groggily awoke with heavy eyes. Her head ached, and she felt dehydrated. Blinking a few times, she rolled onto her side and reached over for her phone on the bedside table. The device in hand, she unlocked the screen. The new messages flashed in the notification bar.

4 NEW MESSAGES

**Mom** : Hi sweetie. We sent some flowers to your dorm.  
 **Mom** : We are here whenever you're ready. If you need to come home for a few days, Dad and I will drive down to pick you up.  
 **Mom** : Love you.

Max sighed. She hadn't been very responsive to her parents in the last few weeks. They'd come down for Chloe's funeral and had insisted Max spend a few days with them in Seattle, but she had opted out. Leaving Arcadia Bay right now was tempting, but somehow, leaving felt like abandoning Chloe again. Besides, there was still much work to be done. She couldn't leave Joyce to deal with all of this on her own. Still, Max made a mental note to call her mom later.

 **Warren** : Hey Max. Just wanted to check in on ya. How are you feeling? Let me know if you need anything.

Max smiled, rubbing her puffy eyes. Warren, like Kate, had been a very supportive friend during the past weeks. Max knew that he liked her, but she could tell that the messages he was relaying now were with the utmost respect and concern. She looked forward to seeing him again when her energy returned.

 **Max** : hey Warren. Thank you. I'm honestly feeling pretty shitty…but I appreciate you reaching out.  
 **Warren** : Understandable. Like I said, here if you need anything.  
 **Max** : Got any Netflix recs? Could use something that's easy to binge  
 **Warren** : Ask and you shall receive. Will email you later.  
 **Max** : You're the best

"I made you some tea," Kate said, entering the room with a mug in one hand and a grocery sack hanging from her other arm. "Earl grey always gives me a bit more energy. I also brought your favorite cereal, you know, in case you're feeling hungry at all." She passed the mug over to Max before walking over to her desk and setting the bag down.

"Thanks, Kate," Max said, setting her phone down and taking the drink. She looked down at the faded Two Whales logo on the mug. Her heart fell. Chloe had swiped it years ago as a prank when Joyce wasn't looking. Max remembered how anxious she was at her friend's mischievous actions—even when they were younger, Chloe was more of the rebel. Max had begged her to put the mug back, and Chloe had laughed.

"There's no way they're going to miss it, Max! And you always say how much you love the shape of these mugs because of the roomy handles!" Chloe had said, throwing her arm around her shorter companion as they'd exited the diner and headed to the bus stop.

Max closed her eyes and sat in the memory for a moment longer, taking a deep breath before sipping the beverage. Chloe was right—she did love this mug and was glad that she had it now.

Across the room, Kate opened the blinds and begun watering the houseplant Max kept by the window.

"Hope you don't mind a little light," Kate said. "I think Lisa needs to photosynthesize a bit."

Max smiled. Kate really was a good listener—she even remembered the nickname Max had given the houseplant. "Not sure how that poor plant has survived all this. I'm a terrible plant mom."

"Nonsense!" Kate said. "Don't you worry—I'm going to get you and this plant through this," Kate said with a soft smile.

"You're the best, Kate," Max said quietly. "You really don't have to do all this. I know you've still got schoolwork to do."

"Max, I know you're strong, but you don't have to go through all this by yourself. It's the least I can do after everything…" Kate sighed. "Besides, I think all the teachers have been going pretty easy on everyone in the last few weeks. I think they're all shook up, too."

Principal Wells had also given Max three weeks' worth of excused absences, and an option to defer her studies until next fall if she decided to take a longer break. Three weeks to decide if she'd be willing to come back to school after bear witnessing a traumatic event.

Max looked down. "I honestly don't feel very strong, Kate. I'm trying to be, but—I can't stop seeing it."

Kate sat down, taking her friend's hand. Max closed her eyes tight. She did not want to cry again this early.

"Max, you saw your friend get shot," Kate whispered. "And if Nathan had found you, too—I can't even say it."

In this reality, Nathan had run out of the bathroom after the gunshot. Max then stumbled out from the corner of the girl's bathroom and held her dying friend with 911 on the phone. She remembered holding Chloe's head in her lap, whispering to her as Chloe closed her eyes and lost consciousness almost immediately. Everything felt like a blur. Chloe was already gone by the time the paramedics had arrived. Nathan hadn't gotten far either—when the cops pulled him over, he practically turned himself over.

Life was strange. No one, not even Chloe, had known the real truth in the end. And here they were now.

"You're strong too, Kate. I'm so grateful to have you as my friend," Max said.

"You, too, Max. You're the only one who initially believed me when all that stuff happened with me and Nathan... and Jefferson. Everyone made me feel like I was crazy; like I was lying. I felt so disgusting. But not you—and I don't think I would have gotten through it without you."

Max shuddered. The image of Kate on the rooftop of Blackwell reappeared in her mind. That day on the roof hadn't happened in this reality, but what Jefferson did was real. Max looked at her friend and saw Kate's face begin to falter. "How are you doing, Kate? You've undergone so much trauma, too. Have you been able to talk to someone?"

Kate sighed. "It hasn't been easy, Max, but I do feel a lot better knowing Nathan Prescott and Mark Jefferson can't hurt anyone anymore. The original video of me at the party got taken down, but I know it's still floating around out there. My mom's still been so vile towards me..."

"Don't listen to your mom, Kate. You were targeted, and you weren't the only one. Nothing that happened to you is your fault."

"Thanks, Max," Kate sighed. "I know that, now. I've been going to a trauma support group organized by my church, and it's been helping." Kate looked up. "You're welcome to come with me sometime. I know you're not really religious, but it's been a safe space for me and everyone's very welcoming and supportive. I promise no one's going to try and convert you," she said, laughing lightly.

Max smiled softly. "Thank you. That actually sounds kind of nice. Let me know when the next one is. I think I need to start getting out of this room at least. It's pretty damn depressing in here. I almost wish I had some schoolwork to take my mind off of everything."

Kate groaned. "You can have mine. Principal Wells is a terrible photography substitute—but I guess better than the alternative. Still. We all miss you in class."

"Wells is teaching photography? Oh god," Max laughed. "Everyone misses me? Even Victoria?"

Kate laughed. "Well, she won't admit it...but she's somehow a lot more tolerable. She gave me her number and said if I wanted to talk, she'd listen. She's not really who I want to talk to, but I think her intentions were sincere. I'm sure she feels awful."

"Well, we all feel awful," Max said. She then sighed, thinking in disdain about the time she spent in Jefferson's class, gawking over his work. What bullshit. "I'm not sure I ever want to touch a camera again."

Kate frowned. "Don't let that creep ruin your passion, Max. You have so much talent. But wait until you're ready."

"I guess," Max frowned.

Her phone then vibrated, and Max set the finished cup of tea down on her bedside table, picking up the phone.

Joyce: Hi darlin. Thinking of you. Was wondering if you'd like to come down to the diner for some brunch this afternoon? Got a few things of Chloe's to give ya. Hugs.

"Damn. It's Joyce, Chloe's mom. She wants me to meet her later," Max said aloud. "She said she has some stuff of Chloe's to give me."

"Are you ready for that?" Kate asked.

Max sighed. "I don't know if I ever will be. But I think I should meet her."

Kate squeezed Max's hand. "Let me drive you."

* * *

Max stared out the car window as she and Kate drove downtown toward the diner. Arcadia Bay looked the same as ever. Quiet and slow. Alt-J played softly on the speakers, and Max tapped her fingers to the song's gentle rhythm. Shortly, Kate pulled into the parking lot of Two Whales.

"You want me to pick you up later?" Kate asked. "I was going to go study at the library."

"No, no, I can just take the bus back. Thank you so much for the ride, Kate. I'll see you later," Max said, getting out of the car.

"Bye, Max," Kate said, giving a small wave before pulling the car around and getting back on the road.

Alone in the parking lot, Max took a breath and looked around. Across the road was the beach, but it looked like it should. No dead whales, and boats floating around the harbor in the distance. The lighthouse stood tall in the distance across the bay. Max turned toward the diner, her stomach feeling queasy as she eyed the newspaper headline outside the door.

_"Local girl, Chloe Price, 19, shot dead by Prescott son."_

The diner door swung open, and Max stumbled backward as the exiting man bumped into her.

"Jesus! You better watch yourself, kid," Frank Bowers grumbled, storming past her.

Max's eyes widened at the sight of Frank. The last time she saw him was in another reality, trapped in the diner during the storm. Her mouth opened to say something, but Frank was already halfway across the parking lot, headed towards his old RV. In this reality, he had no idea who Max was.

Max's chest ached. How badly she wanted to talk to Frank. Rachel's missing body had been discovered in the junkyard shortly after an "anonymous" tip was submitted to the police following Jefferson's arrest. Frank had to be mourning in this reality, too.

Shaking her head, Max turned away from the newspaper stand and entered the diner.

The Two Whales was as busy as expected on a Sunday afternoon. The bar seating was full, and some surfer rock played on the jukebox as the servers bustled to and from tables. Max looked around, craning her neck around the counter. A moment later, Joyce appeared from the kitchen, and the two met eyes.

"I reserved us a booth over there, Max!" Joyce called, pointing over to the corner of the diner by the windows. It was the same booth Max and Chloe had shared just weeks ago in another reality. "I'll be right over, I just gotta close out this ticket."

"No worries," Max said, but her voice was lost in the loudness of the diner. Max cleared her throat and slowly crossed over to the booth, taking a seat on one of the cushions.

_"I can tell you every single thing you have in your pockets," Max had said._

_"You have X-Ray vision, dude? I don't even know what's in my pockets!" Chloe exclaimed._

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Max," Joyce said as she walked over, holding a lidded box under her arms. She slid into the booth across from Max. Max shook the memory out of her head, unsure of how long she'd been spacing out. The diner seemed a bit quieter now, as the brunch rush began to head out.

"I can't believe they're already making you come back to work, Joyce," Max said.

Joyce shook her head. "No Max, I came back on my own. Some might call me crazy for returning so soon, but when I sit at the house, that's where I feel crazy," Joyce said, her southern accent rolling between her words. "I sit at home staring at all our photos and I can't stop thinking 'bout it. At least when I'm here, I'm with my community and friends. Plus we still have bills to pay."

_Wowzer. And here I am, laying in bed all day in the dark listening to Foals._

"I've slowly begun goin' through Chloe's things. It's hard Max, and there's still a lot to do. If you'd like to come by the house and look through things, you're more than welcome. I know she'd want you to have it. These were a few things that initially caught my eye," Joyce said, passing the box across the table.

"Thank you, Joyce," Max said, taking the box and setting it beside her. There was some weight to it. "This really means a lot."

"How are you doing, honey? I haven't seen you since the service. You talk to your folks?"

"I'm doing my best," Max sighed. "Mom and Dad have been pretty supportive. They send their love."

Joyce frowned. "You don't need to wear a mask around me, Max. I know what you're goin' through."

 _Not quite,_ Max couldn't help but think. She sighed. "I've been having trouble sleeping. I just wish I had done more."

"Don't you get all caught up in all the what-if's of the situation, Max. What if Nathan had shot you, too? It's horrible what happened, and I miss my girl more than anythin', but I'm glad I didn't lose two of my daughters on the same day."

Max felt her eyes start to tear. Joyce sniffed, rubbing her face once as a tear slid down her face.

"How are you doing, Joyce?" Max asked softly, reaching across the table and taking her hand.

Joyce sighed, pulling a handkerchief out of her apron pocket and dabbing her eyes. "Oh, Max, I've definitely seen better days. I can't sleep either. This whole story with Jefferson and Prescott makes my blood boil. I'm so disgusted. And then Rachel Amber..." she trailed off. "I miss when nothing was goin' on in Arcadia Bay."

"I know," Max said. "It feels like we're living in an episode of Twin Peaks." And the Twilight Zone.

Joyce shook her head. "A terrible episode, at that."

A moment later one of the servers appeared at their table, raising her hand in apology for interrupting.

"Joyce, you have a phone call in the back," the server said. "It's the coroner's office."

"Probably about Chloe's case. 'Scuse me, Max," Joyce said tiredly, getting up. "Why don't you go ahead and order somethin', on the house."

"Thanks, Joyce. I'll see you later," Max said, nodding as Joyce disappeared behind the counter and into the back room.

The other server lingered a moment. "Anything I can get you?"

Max sighed, eyeing the specials menu at the table. She didn't have much of an appetite but didn't want to loiter. Besides, she probably needed to eat something.

"Just a coffee and a bagel, please," Max said.

"Small favors. I don't even need to write it down," the server said. "Coming right up." She headed back to the kitchen.

Max looked around the diner, her world spinning. She could practically see Chloe in front of her.

_"How many cigarettes?" Chloe asked. Max had rewinded to see what was in her friend's pockets._

_"Seven cigarettes. And a parking ticket."_

The server returned with her bagel and coffee. Max picked up the mug, then raised her eyebrow in surprise at the new shape and logo design.

"You guys changed your mugs?" Max asked.

The server raised an eyebrow. "You must be a regular. Yeah, the owner thought the old ones were getting too faded and worn. Went for a trendier Portland hipster coffee shop look. If you ask me, I think the handles are way too small. Not sure why aesthetic matters so much for a simple cup of coffee. To each their own. You need anything else?"

Max looked sadly at the mug. "No, thank you. That's all."

"Enjoy," the server said, walking to the next table.

Max set the cup down and pushed the bagel aside. She'd at least take it to go later. Turning her head, her eyes locked on the weathered box Joyce had given her. Etched on the side in black marker read "For Max." A knot formed in her stomach, and Max slowly removed the lid, revealing the contents inside.

It wasn't anything unexpected. Photo albums, CDs, Chloe's pirate hat, her necklace, a few old shirts, and a black bomber jacket. Max dug through the box, the smell of Chloe's clothes making her shudder. She turned them over, then her eyes widened in surprise at what was underneath.

William's camera.

_Of course. In this reality, Chloe never gave me William's camera…_

Max tensed up, the image of Chloe's bedroom flashing before her eyes. How many photos did she take on this camera that no longer existed? Shaking her head, she placed it back into the box and put the lid on. She hardly had a second to process before someone from the bar yelled, "Hey! Turn down the music for a sec!"

The surfer rock was muted, and the speakers from the mounted television blared in the diner. Max looked up, and a look of horror washed across her face at the headlines.

"Breaking News! Body found in junkyard, originally suspected to be that of missing person Rachel Amber, has been identified as someone else. Autopsy shows that the DNA matches that of twenty-one-year-old Melanie Grace, who died in a car accident on Interstate 5 about seven months ago. Files from the morgue, owned by the Prescott family, whose son was involved in the recent death of local girl Chloe Price, read that Grace's body was originally reported as cremated. As of now, Rachel Amber's whereabouts are still unknown. And next, we have the weather..."

Max was shaking.

Immediately, her phone began to blow up.

3 NEW MESSAGES

Kate sent a screenshot of the news article.  
 **Kate** : Max! did u see this? Text me when you get this!

 **Warren** : Holy shit, just saw the news. Hope you're okay. Freaky.

A moment later, Joyce appeared from the back room with tears in her eyes.

Max couldn't believe it. After everything she had been through, after all the pain she had witnessed and felt. Somehow, Jefferson and Nate being locked up; Chloe's sacrifice, all felt for nothing.

Rachel Amber was still missing.

Something was not right.


End file.
